Process of producing relief effects



(No Model) J. JAGOBSON.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING RELIEF EFFECTS.

Patented June 15,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

JOHN JACOBSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOP TO VILLIAM B. LAMBERT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING RELIEF EFFECTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,550, dated June 15, 1897.

Application filed October 20, 1896. Serial No. (509,480. (No specimens.)

To aZZ whom/ it may concern: which the low relief is apparent on the surface Be it known that I, JOHN JAcoBsoN, of Bosof the swelled gelatin are pushed forward ton, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachuuntil the surface of the plate is brought to the setts, have invented an Improvement in Phodesired prominence,thc nature of the material 5 tographic Plates, of which the following dewhich forms the backing being such that it scription, in connection with the accompany will assume and retain the shape to which it ing drawings, is a specification, like letters is brought by such manipulation. It is obon the drawings representing like parts. vious that this work can be done by a coin- The present invention is embodied in aphoparatively unskilled artist, since he has be- IO tographie plate of novel construction and in fore him the low-relief image upon the surthe method of producing by the use of such face of the gelatin to guide him in his operaplate a form or matrix which is a reproductions, it being necessaryonly to work forward tion in high relief of an object or group of from the back those portions of the image objects and is capable of use in reproducing which are to be prominently brought out. I 5 the image in high relief, for example, by form- In working from a portrait, for example, ing from the said matrix a die for embossing after the exposure is made and the low-relief which can be used to form the surface of an image produced upon the surface of the plate ordinary photograph of the same image or by the manipulator, observing the plate, will beforming from said matrix a mold in which gin working out the back thereof, first follow- 2o medallions may be cast. ing the general outlines of the head or face, The photographic plate embodying the inand after that has been brought to the proper vention consists of a surface portion and a form the prominent features, as the forehead base or supporting portion, the former being and nose, are worked out to a still greater exadapted to have reproduced thereon by a photent until the proper shape is reached to cor- 25 tographic process a relief image and the latrespond with that of what is known as an ter being adapted to be mechanically manipembossed photograph. Aftertheplate has ulated to produce more prominent reliefs. thus been worked up and finished it is used The surface portion of the plate consists as a form for producing a cast, die, or other of a film of sensitized gelatin capable of proreproductionas, for example, by molding a 3o ducing a relief image by the well-known plastic material upon the surface of the plate swelled-gelatin process, which consists in photo form a matrix, or by a galvano-plastic tographic exposure and subsequent soaking process or any other suitable methodof proin water, whereby the details are reproduced ducing a mold in which a die or medallion in comparatively low relief; and the base maybe cast. Before the cast or die is taken 35 portion or support consists of flexible subfrom the matrix which has been produced as stantially non-elastic material capable of beabove described the said matrix should be ing mechanically manipulated and thus again soaked in water, so that if the gelatin brought to the desired shape, but having sufhas dried down it will be brought up again ficient rigidity to retain the shape in which into proper relief to reproduce the surface de- 0 40 it is left, lead being a material which is estail in the cast.

pecially well adapted for the purpose. In Figure 1 is a plan View of a plate embodycarrying out the process in conjunction with ing the invention, with part of the surface such a plate an exposure is made in a printportion broken away. Fig. 2 is a section of ing-frame and the plate then soaked in water the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the plate 9 5 45 to bring up a relief image on the surface after it has beenexposed and treated to bring thereof in accordance with the well-known out the image. Fig. 4: is a section taken in swelled-gelatin process. When theimage has the plane of line at 4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a thus been produced and is apparent, the plate section of the plate after it has been mechanis worked up from the back-that is to say, maically manipulated. 10o 5o nipulated by hand or with a suitable instru- The plate consists of a base portion a, of ment in such manner that those parts upon lead or other flexible substantially non-elastie material which can be easily manipulated and which will readily assume any form into which it may be worked and which has sufficient rigidity to retain such form, and a film or surface portion 1), of gelatin which has been suitably prepared so as to be sensitive to light, bichromatized gelatin being commonly employed. After the plate is thus prepared it is exposed in a printing-frame under a negative or in a camera or by other suitable photographic process, so that the gelatin is properly affected by the light, becoming more or less insoluble in water, according to the amount of light which has acted upon various portions of the surface thereof. After the plate has been thus exposed it is soaked in water, so that the portions of the surface thereof which have not been rendered insoluble by the action of light will absorb water and swell, thus forming a relief-image upon the surface of the plate, as indicated in Fig. 2. Those portions of the image reproduced which are represented on a flat surface, as the lights, will be represented on the plate in relief, so that although the high relief of the main objects is not reproduced all the details of the picture are reproduced in low relief, yet with sufficient prominence to produce the proper effect when the main objects are brought up in high relief.

In order thus to bring up the main objects,

' the back of the base portion (L is manipulated by a suitable tool and worked outward, as indicated at (t Fig. 5, thus bringing the portions of the surfaceb which embrace the main object or objects into high relief, such manipulation requiring but slight skill and very little time, since the plate (t is made, as stated, of material which responds readily to such manipulations, while no careful detail work is required, since all the finer portions of theimage are brought into sufficient relief by the photographic process.

For example, as shown in the drawings, the finer details, such as hair, eyebrows, the, are perfectly reproduced by the photographic process, although this process does not reproduce the roundness or prominence of the ob ject as a whole, such prominence being provided for in accordance with the present invention by the flexible base portions, which can be rounded out to conform to the main prominent configuration. It is obvious,

moreover, that while but slight skill is required 111 carrying out the process there is room for the exercise of some judgment on the part of the manipulator, which may in many instances be productive of better results than are obtainable from the purely photomechanical process, which in any event is not capable of reproducing prominent reliefs.

\Vhile a portrait is herein shown to illustrate the invention, it is obvious that any picture may be reproduced in the same way, the details being provided for by the photographic process and the high relief produced by working up the plate. The plate made in this way may be used for the production of dies, which may be cast or otherwise produced therefrom, the said dies being practically perfect and adapted for use in embossing photographs, especially portraits, and in various other ways. For example, it is obvious that plaster medallions maybe very inexpensively produced by this process, it being also possible to mold sheets of celluloid or eollodion on a die produced in this way so as to obtain very striking effects.

\Vhat I claim isl. A photographic plate, consisting of a base portion of flexible substantially nonelastic material, capable of being shaped by pressure brought to bear upon it and having sufficient rigidity to retain the shape thus produced, and a surface film of sensitized gelatin adapted to have a relief image produced thereon by photographic exposure and subsequent soaking in water, substantially as described.

2. A photographic plate, consisting of a base portion of lead, and a surface portion of sensitized gelatin, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described process of producing a matrix, which consists in photographing upon a sensitized gelatin film having a support or backing of flexible substantially nonelastic material, and soaking said film in water to produce a relief image thereon, and then mechanically shaping the said flexible backing or support to bring out the main prominence of the design, using the low rclief previously obtained on the gelatin surface as a guide, si'lbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN JACOBSON.

Witnesses:

II. J. Lrvnnnonn, N. P. Fern. 

